1/22/2010 - PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- A team from MacDill AFB, Fla. arrived Jan. 21 at the Port-au-Prince airport to assist with the ongoing relief efforts here.

The 6th Medical Group sent one of their 13-person Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facilities here to help prepare patients for medical aero evacuation to other treatment facilities.

Once the team arrived, they were fully mission capable within two and a half hours and had six patients prepped and ready for transport on a 10 p.m. flight to a medical treatment facility in Florida.

According to Tech. Sgt. Ryan Wheatley, MASF noncommissioned officer in charge, the staging facility can process 40 people a day and everyone on the team is ready for the mission.

"Everybody realizes their importance of being here and the service they provide," said Maj. Christopher Joseph, MASF commander.

Not only is everyone prepared for this mission but actually going on a mission just reinforces all the training they do for this type of situation. "Not only are they ready for this mission," said Major Joseph. "But this gives them validation of the training they receive (at home station)."

The 13-person, completely self-sustaining, MASF provides specialized medical care to patients needing aeromedical evacuation from an area and includes medical technicians, nurses and support staff.

Some members of the team have also deployed to Texas in support of operation relief efforts when both hurricanes Gustav and Ike hit a few years ago.